I Quit
by RedHal
Summary: Lance had fallen Hard for the Princess. However, the fact that she's a princess and he's a corporeal prevents him from acting on it forcing him to deal with his feelings. But when Ilana tries to get too close to him, Lance decides to take drastic action
1. Questions and Answers

A/N: I don't own Sym-Bionic Titan

Summary: Lance had fallen Hard for the Princess. However, the fact that she's a princess and he's a corporeal prevents him from acting on it forcing him to deal with his feelings. But when Ilana tries to get too close to him, Lance decides to take drastic action to keep his heart hard

_**I Quit**_

**Chapter 1: Questions and Answers**

It has been a full year since Lance, Ilana, and Octus crash landed on Earth to get away from the Mutraddi. Octus hadn't heard anything about the death of Ilana's father, the King, so Ilana kept her spirits up.

However, Lance wasn't so easily convinced all was well. The Mutraddi hadn't attacked in three months. Of course, that could be because they thought that the last creature killed Ilana. Or that the leader thought that by backing up on the attacks, he could catch them by surprise.

Lance looked out his bedroom window where Octus was in his Mr. Lunis disguise trimming some rose bushes Barb helped plant while keeping an eye on Ilana who had a few months ago discovered the pleasures in running through sprinklers in a swimsuit. Of course, Octus was well out of range of the sprinklers

Lance couldn't help but to crack a grin at how happy and beautiful the princess looked in her pink one-piece. However, the instant he felt the corners of his mouth rise, they dropped and he walked away from the window.

It seemed that this past year, it's been getting harder and harder for him to remain the cold-hearted soldier he had mentally vowed to become after the fiasco at military school. And the more time he spent with Octus and Ilana, especially the latter, he was becoming more his old self: the life-loving young boy who's loving father worked for the king and was held in high standards.

Of course, that little boy died the instant his father was presumed dead.

Lance took a deep breath and went back to the window to keep an eye on the surrounding area. However, his eyes ALWAYS went back to the princess.

Sighing, Lance left his bedroom and walked outside.

"Lance!" Ilana called out. "Come join me"

Lance turned to her and saw her tanning skin sparkle with the droplets of water. Her normally sticking out blond hair was now gravitating towards the ground making her look more of an Earthling

"Maybe later Princess." Lance said calling her by her title more as a reminder to himself. "Don't leave the vicinity. I'm going on a walk"

"Be careful Lance" Octus warned.

"Don't worry" Lance said revealing that he had his communicator on

0000

Ten minutes later,

Lance froze in his spot.

"What do you want?" he asked nobody.

"You could sense me?" a white-haired man dressed in a black hat and jacket and red glasses asked as he stepped out.

"I've been trained" Lance said getting into a fighting stance "Now answer the question. Titan hasn't been bothering anyone in months"

"I do have a few questions" Solomon confirmed as he sat on a park bench. "But I'm sure you do as well. Like where we got Galalunian Tech"

"Not only that but how you know about Galaluna" Lance confirmed.

"I'll make you a deal Lance." Solomon said "You give me my answers, and I'll give you yours"

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll get no answers from me" Solomon answered "We'll take turns asking. I'll even give you the first question"

Lance bit his lip

"How do I know that you're not lying? You've lied to me and Ilana before"

"I can always introduce you to my source if you cooperate. I think you'll be interested once you hear my answers"

Lance examined the G3 leader.

"I still don't trust you" Lance said. "But I have wondered as has Octus about where you got the technology. Very well. You have yourself a deal. If you ask a question I don't feel comfortable answering, you won't get one"

"Very well" Solomon said "You go first"

"Where did you get Galalunian Tech?"

"Eight years ago, a Galalunian scientist crash landed on Earth after going through some Rift Gate. He was injured so G3 nursed him back to health. In return, he showed us SOME of the technology. He refuses to give us all details. My turn. What is your mission?"

"Galaluna was invaded by the Mutraddi. The King sent his daughter, Ilana, away to protect her. Octus and myself are her guards. However, the Mutraddi followed us. What is the Galalunian's name whom you've rescued?"

"Edward" Solomon answered "What is the deal with Titan?"

However, Lance was in too much shock from Solomon's answer to answer the question.

"Lance? You okay?" Solomon asked

"My father lives?" Lance whispered

"You're Edward's son? He described you as this life-loving little kid who hated violence!" Solomon exclaimed

He then grabbed Lance and pulled him to the bench so he could sit down

"As long as you don't mean the Earth harm, and I am a friend of your father, I suppose we could stop these questions"

Lance was too shaken up. First came this weird feeling towards the princess and now his father was alive.

It HAD to be his father. Solomon knew of the Rift Gate and Galaluna. Besides Edward, only the trio that formed Titan were the only Galalunians who had been through the Rift Gate.

"You must have had one hell of a childhood after that attack that took Edward from you" Solomon mused "I'll leave that conversation for you and Edward when you do meet."

"Can my life get any more complicated?" Lance asked rhetorically

"Meaning?" Solomon asked

"Just…lately…I have trouble taking my eyes off of Ilana. And not because her father told me to look after her"

"I wonder…" Solomon mused. "Lance? When you see her, does everything around you vanish?"

"Yes. As of four months ago"

"And does she seem to sparkle in the sun?"

"Yes."

"And do you find yourself arguing with her for the sake of hiding what you really think?"

"Yes. Though I take care not to do it around Octus because he always starts playing that stupid teamwork song"

Solomon hid a chuckle as he recalled that time during a battle when Titan suddenly started singing it. The look on the army soldiers' faces had been CLASSIC

"And does your heart race and you feel nauseous around her?" Solomon asked

"Yes. You know what is going on and why I've started feeling this way?" Lance asked

"Oh boy" Solomon said. "You two AREN'T siblings, right?"

"Correct. She is a princess. I'm a corporal." Lance confirmed

"Well Lance" Solomon said. "You've fallen in love with Ilana"

Lance blinked at the guy in confusion as the information sunk in

Suddenly Lance stood up

"That is RIDICULOUS! I CAN'T be in LOVE! She is a princess and I am a soldier! It could NEVER work!"

Lance then walked back home.

Solomon sighed and went to go tell Edward what he had learned.

Boy was he going to be surprised

TBC


	2. Desperate Measures

**Chapter 2: Desperate Measures**

"In love with Ilana. That's absurd." Lance grumbled to himself as he walked back home "She's just a spoiled little princess…who has a heart of gold…No Lance. Don't fall. The last time you loved, you lost the person…but he may be back in your life…Stop thinking about that."

Lance spent the rest of the walk trying to talk himself out of being in love with the princess. In fact, he was so engrossed in his denial, he almost bypassed his Earth Home.

"Lance!" Ilana called

Lance stopped before realizing he was about to miss his destination. Of course, what had caught his attention more was the fact that Ilana had changed in the past twenty minutes.

Her hair was back to its usual style and she was wearing a mini skirt and a pink tank top.

"Kimmie said that this is 'in'" she explained.

"Excuse me Princess" Lance said running into the house, up the stairs and slammed his door shut.

Octus poked his head from the kitchen as Ilana walked in.

"What's wrong with him?" Ilana asked

"I don't know" Octus said. "Perhaps he is restless from the lack of fights"

However,

"This can't be happening to me" Lance groaned. "Falling in love with her was not part of the mission."

He then lowered himself onto his bed.

"Okay Lance. Focus. Maybe you can find a fault in her to turn you off of her" he thought out loud.

Silence.

"Ugh!" he groaned. "Even her faults make her attractive"

KNOCK KNOCK

"Go away!" Lance snapped

"Lance. It's me" Ilana's voice came. "Can we talk?"

"No" Lance answered

However, the princess decided to use titles to overrule orders

"Lance. What's wrong?" she asked

"Nothing" Lance answered turning away from her and going to the window

"Yes there is. For the past few months, you've been acting weirder than usual. At first it was a good weird. But lately…it's worrying me. Octus thinks you're restless from the lack of battles. If that's true, we can form Titan and…"

"No!" Lance said opening the window as the glass was showing her reflection. He then leaned out a bit as if to get a bit more air. After all, to him, he was suffocating.

"Lance. You're shaking" she pointed out sounding really worried "What's wrong?"

Lance knew if he told her the truth, his secret was out. With Titan, his and Ilana's consciences were in control. Which meant he could accidentally reveal his feelings.

It was then he realized something he really didn't want to do. But perhaps he could still succeed in his failed mission if he went through.

"I quit" he whispered when he felt her hand on his arm ready to turn him to face her

Ilana froze wondering, praying, she heard wrong

"W-What?" she asked

"Octus can look after you" Lance explained grabbing the picture by his bedside of himself and his father, the bag that had his Galalunian uniform in it, stuffed the picture in the bag and then walked out the door.

"Lance!" she called out after him as he walked down the stairs. "What's the deal?"

"The 'deal' is that despite the fact that I don't want to talk, you insist. Well, I can only take so much of it Princess." Lance lied

"But where will you go?" she asked "What about the Mutraddi? What if Titan is needed?"

"You shouldn't be fighting the Mutraddi anyways. The Army or even the G3 can take care of that as they have Galalunian tech" Lance said before walking out the front door and slammed it. He then slung his bag over his shoulder and took off.

Ilana looked at the closed door as Octus stood in the doorway of the kitchen and living room having heard the entire conversation.

Slowly, Ilana lowered herself onto the stair she was standing on in shock, shaking a bit. She'd be the last to admit it out loud, but she had always felt safest when around Lance. And in her attempts to stay near him, she drove him away.

"He wasn't exactly being truthful" Octus said breaking the silence

"What do you mean Octus?" she asked, sounding on the verge of tears

"Over the year, I have been taking great care in being able to tell when the two of you, and even a few humans, are telling lies"

"How can you tell?" Ilana asked looking at the door.

"There was a tone in his voice and his heart was racing We shall give him a few days to calm down as this could just be his temper going off. If not, we shall look for him" Octus said

TBC


	3. Explainations

**Chapter 3: Explanations**

A week later,

Ilana was on the verge of a panic attack as Octus stared at the wall trying to figure out why Ilana couldn't get a hold of Lance via communicator.

"There we go" Octus said "Lance?"

"Did you get a hold of him?" Ilana asked

Octus sighed.

"He had turned off his communicator. I had managed to hack into it and turned it back on, but he just turned it back off and took it off" Octus informed the princess.

"What is his problem?" Ilana asked

Octus stood up and went to the front door.

"Octus?"

"Come Ilana" he said. "We are going to find Lance"

"We are?" she asked eagerly as she followed him to the car and got into the passenger seat grateful that Lance didn't take the car.

However, after Octus buckled up, he stared forward.

"Octus?"

"I am currently turning Lance's communicator back on so that I may be able to track it" Octus explained.

He then put the car in reverse and drove the speed limit

"Can't you go any faster?" she asked

"Going faster than the speed limit will result in a police chase resulting in a delay in finding Lance. As he had recently threw off his armor, he probably isn't far from it as considering how late it is, he is resting and doesn't know that we are tracking him"

A few minutes later, they arrive in the woods about where their ship had crash landed before it was taken by the G3.

"Of course he'd be in the cave he wanted to stay at before" Ilana mused.

"Ilana. Perhaps it would be best if you wait in the car. It is my suspicion that Lance left because of you for some reason" Octus said before leaving the car. He then transformed into his robot form and walked towards the cave.

"Lance?" Octus asked as he scanned the area

"Octus?" Lance asked as he emerged from behind a stalagmite in his Galalunian uniform

"Why did you leave the group?" Octus asked

"You heard what I told Ilana" Lance said crossing his arms and glaring at the robot

"But I have lived with you two for 352 Earth days" Octus argued "Your voice pattern revealed hesitation and your heart was racing, which are traits for a lie, when you left"

"Where's Ilana?" Lance asked with a sigh

"Waiting in the car" Octus answered

"I had a lot to think about Octus. I had a word with Solomon a week ago. He told me where he got the Galalunian Tech. My father lives"

"Are you certain he is trustworthy?"

"He knew the name of Galaluna and what I was like as a child before the accident that took my father from me" Lance explained. "Father was sent to Earth, but got injured in the transport. Solomon also knew the name of the Rift Gate"

"This is amazing news. But what does that have to do with you living the group?"

"It's just something that's adding to the stress" Lance said. "I…I failed my mission"

"The mission was to keep Princess Ilana protected from the Mutraddi which we do as Titan and in our disguises" Octus reminded Lance

"But NOWHERE in the Mission does it say I can fall in love with the princess" Lance snapped before inhaling sharply at his big mouth

When Octus didn't react, Lance sighed and figured he owed the 'mind' of Titan an explanation.

"She is a princess. I am…or was… a corporal. We'll see what happens. Anyways, rank-wise, I am not worthy of her. True if Galaluna falls, this would be for the best. But should Galaluna survive, what good will me being in love with her do? She will no doubt marry someone of noble birth like…Baron" Lance explained with a bit of a shudder at the example

The thought of his Ilana with his rival…Lance shook his head to get that possessive thought out of his head.

"In truth Octus. I never intended to quit. I figured if Ilana thought I quit, she would go on without me and I could watch over her from a distance and keep any dangers from her away before they get too close…and I can get over my feeling of love for her"

"Have you tried talking to her?" Octus asked

"I can't have her know about this!" Lance argued "She CAN'T know. Octus. PLEASE don't tell her"

Octus was astounded. It was rarer than seeing what the Earth people called a 'jackalope' run across the street to hear Lance willingly use the word 'please'. The robot figured that this secret that was costing Titan meant the world to Lance.

"Just tell people that Lance Lunis was adopted and his biological father reclaimed him over the summer" Lance said

"I will keep your secret" Octus said before holding out his arm. Lance walked up to the robot and held out his hand. Octus dropped the communicator into Lance's hand. "Keep that with you. You might need Manus"

"Okay" Lance said

"What will you have me tell Ilana?"

"Anything…but that I love her" Lance said

Octus walked out of the cave to the car where a bored Ilana had been locked in and placed under a shield.

"Well?" she asked as Octus got back in the car.

"Uh…he wasn't there" Octus lied

Ilana didn't believe him and got out of the car.

"Take down this shield down now, Octus!" she demanded in her princess tone

"But that will compromise…"

"NOW!" she demanded

With a sigh, Octus did as he was told. Ilana walked up to the cave

"CORPORAL!" she demanded

Lance, who was about to fall asleep, jumped about a foot in the air

"Princess?" he asked wondering just what Octus told her.

"Get your Galalunian butt back in the car" she demanded pointing at the cave entrance. "That is a direct order"

"Actually, as we are not in Galaluna and I am no longer in your service, you can't tell me what to do" Lance argued.

"Then at least tell me the truth" Ilana said "Don't I deserve that much?"

Lance almost caught himself about to say 'no. you deserve better than me'. Luckily, he caught himself in time.

"I ran into Solomon and he gave me some news that I needed to think about, but you kept prying into my personal life" Lance said. "That news is none of your business, so don't bother asking."

"Lance" Ilana said trying a different tactic. "PLEASE come back. It's too quiet without you. And…I'd feel safer with you nearby"

Lance turned his back knowing that if she continued looking at him with those big brown eyes, he'd cave and go right back to continuing to fall more in love with her.

"I'm just ten miles away" he told her "I'll keep an eye out for the Mutraddi. I can see the stars better from here. Plus Solomon and the G3 are keeping an eye on you as well. They're friends now that they know we mean the Earth no harm. And this way…we're not tempted to use Titan"

"Lance?" she asked reaching out for him

"Please go back to the house Ilana" Lance said taking a step away

She sighed knowing that he was just too stubborn. She then walked up to him and turned him around and then hugged him causing him to tense.

"Thank you for this past year" she said before walking away.

As she was leaving, she could have sworn she heard him chant 'she's a princess, she's a princess'

Shrugging she got into the car where Octus was waiting.

"Well?" Octus asked

"He's not coming" she whispered sadly as she hugged herself as if the parts of her body that touched his during the embrace would loose that feeling of his strong body pressed against hers if she didn't.

Octus drove them home in silence in his Mr. Lunis disguise.


	4. Mondula Attacks

**Chapter 4: Mondula Attacks**

One week later,

Octus used the story that Lance gave him when questioned about Lance's whereabouts as it was partially true since Lance's father was alive and probably knew by now that his son was on the same planet.

The robot, in father mode, walked to Ilana's room to find her gone

"Ilana?" he asked before scanning the house in his head.

He went to where his systems were saying that she was. He opened the door to Lance's old room and found the girl with the Sherman High Yearbook on the bed gazing at a page while hugging a pillow.

"You love him don't you?" Octus asked the princess.

"Had you asked me that two weeks ago, I probably would have said no" Ilana admitted. "but lately…I've felt so empty without him"

"Tell him" Octus said sticking to Elephanty's logic

"Octus. Even if I could, it wouldn't work out. I'm a princess. He's a corporal. Society forbids it. Besides…what would he want with a spoiled princess?"

Octus opened his mouth to retort, but he jerked back

"Octus?"

"Something has entered the Earth's atmosphere" Octus said

Suddenly there was an explosion. Ilana ran downstairs and turned on the television and watched the chaos from downtown.

"It can't be!" she gasped as she recognized the attacker

"I thought he was killed" Octus said in a does-not-compute tone

_PRINCESS OF GALALUNA!" _Mondula shouted on the screen as he used an energy beam to reveal a familiar figure causing Ilana to gasp in shock _"If you want to see your father alive again, reveal yourself!"_

"ILANA! NO!" Octus shouted as she ran to the door

"Father is in trouble!" she argued as she activated Corus and took off with Octus right behind her

It was five minutes before she got there.

"FATHER!" she shouted in her armor

"Ilana?" the King groaned.

"So, you finally showed yourself" Mondula said with an evil chuckle

"You…you TRAITOR!" she shouted before shooting her own ray at him.

However, Mondula dodged, but Octus managed to get the King to safety just as Solomon and the G3 crowd appeared.

The G3 soldiers started firing at Mondula as Solomon took the King onto the ship where another Galalunian was waiting

"Edward?" The king asked the man in the wheelchair.

"Yes Your Majesty. I shall explain shortly" Edward said as the air ship rose

Mondula then shot a powerful beam at Ilana. She knew that only a soldier's manus armor would be able to withstand the attack, so she braced herself by shutting her eyes.

TBC


	5. The Final Confrontation

A/N: Happy Easter. Sorry about the length of the last Chapter, but I wanted a bit of a cliffie. Anyways, just to warn you, this story IS AU. I've always thought that hat of Mondula's seemed a bit odd.

**Chapter 5: The Final Confrontation**

The blast didn't come.

"OCTUS! ENGAGE TITAN!" a very familiar voice came

"Engaging Sym-bionic Titan" Octus said as Ilana opened her eyes

She felt the familiar link of Titan form

"_Lance" _she said relieved. Had she been able to move her body, she would have hugged him

"_Since Mondula brought your father along, I figured it's safe to assume that he's been the one behind these attacks" _Lance explained. _"So, we finish him off, and Galaluna will be safe. I thought Titan deserved one last fight" _

Ilana smiled

"This is interesting" Octus mused

"_What is Octus?"_

"I'll discuss it after the fight" Octus said.

Lance turned his attention to the fight and noticed the energy beam heading towards them. As he had felt it in his Manus armor, he braced himself for another attack taking care to put his energy into protecting the heart and mind of Titan…especially the heart.

"_Lance? You okay?" _Ilana asked having felt a bit of the pain and knowing that Lance took the brunt of it

"_I've felt better" _He admitted. "_What about you two?" _

"A few systems down, but nothing serious" Octus said

"_A little sore, but nothing more than any normal fight" _Ilana confirmed. _"In fact, some of the other fights were worse" _

"_How do we defeat him?" _Lance asked as he powered up the shield to withstand another attack

"_Could we do to him what we did to that storm one? Have his power be used against him?" _Ilana asked

"_It's not like we can fly into him Ilana" _Lance argued _"And didn't we agree to never do that again?" _

"_Do you have any other ideas Corporal?" _she retorted

"_When you're fighting and not sharing,_

_And nothing seems to work_

_It's time to put your heads together_

_And think of something good" _

"_OCTUS! TURN THAT DUMB SONG OFF! IT GOT OLD AFTER THE 4__TH__ TIME!" _they chorused

Outside of Titan, the song had caused Mondula to stop the attacks in confusion

"_Octus. You're the 'mind' of Titan. Any ideas?" _Lance asked

"Well, I've been analyzing the energy beam coming from General Mondula. It seems as if his helmet is the source of it"

"_Indicating that Mondula just might very well be possessed!" _Lance realized

"We COULD try what Ilana suggested and aim for the hat. But…"

"_But what?" _Ilana asked

"The blast MIGHT be too much for Titan causing our link to disengage. And as the body which protects the mind and heart, Lance will get full blast and it could kill him."

"_Nevermind/Let's do it" _Ilana and Lance chorused

"Aren't you even going to fight?" Mondula questioned in a taunting tone.

"_Ilana. I need to do this. For Galaluna. We stop Mondula, we save this planet AND our own" _Lance reasoned

"_No Lance. I won't let you get killed"_

"_Octus said it COULD kill me. There's a chance I'll live" _Lance said

Ilana peeked out and saw her father and his father watching from the window of an airship. She knew that Lance had a point of this being their chance to save Galaluna

"Perhaps now would be a good time to mention that interesting thing I noticed"

"_What was it Octus?" _Ilana asked hoping it could spark another plan besides their current one

"Typically when we form our link, you two are facing away from each other. However, now, after three months of silence, you two are facing towards each other."

"_We are?" _they chorused wondering about their change in position

"it might have something to do with those realizations you two had over the past two weeks" Octus hinted

"_What realization?" _Lance asked Ilana

"_That I…you survive this blast and I'll tell you" _she bargained

"_okay. LOWER THE DEFENSES_"

"_Be careful Lance" _

"_Octus. Protect Ilana if this doesn't work" _

"I will"

"You're kidding me" Mondula laughed as Titan removed its inner outer armor. He then sent a blast at Titan.

Ilana felt the sharp painful jolt of the blast that Lance was taking again, but this one was worse.

In the airship,

"What are they doing?" The King asked

"I've seen this done once." Solomon said. "But that time they all took equal damage. This time…it seems Lance is bearing the brunt of the attack"

"Lance. Please know what you're doing" Edward whispered

"_NOW!" _Lance shouted

The power was redirected and hit Mondula and knocking the hat off and the general out. Titan disengaged revealing Octus, Corus, and Lance in human form as the trio was still in the air. Corus flew down where Lance was being subjected to Gravity and caught him before gently laying the unconscious soldier down.

G3 sprung into action and took Mondula into custody.

"We think the hat may have been possessing him." Octus added

A G3 soldier took the hat into custody as the airship landed.

Solomon helped the King out of the airship and Edward came out in the wheelchair moving as fast as he could as he metal hand was controlling the electronic chair.

Ilana powered down Corus and knelt next to Lance who looked as if he had just been under torture.

"C'mon Lance. Wake up" she whispered

Lance then coughed a bit. Ilana helped him sit up and gently rubbed his back while gripping his free hand as if scared he'd run off again if she let go

"Told you I'd be okay" Lance teased

She embraced him tightly. Then, without thinking, without realizing just who was watching, she pulled out of the hug only to go in again, but this time, placed her lips on his.

At first Lance tensed but then basically melted in the kiss.

"And here he feared unrequited love" Solomon mused as he watched with a humored smile on his face

The two fathers exchanged smirks as if they had a feeling something like this was to happen to their children

"you sent Lance with Ilana and myself for a reason, did you not your majesty?" Octus asked the King.

"I figured that should Galaluna fall, Ilana would be more prone to love the young corporal than an older general" The king admitted

The sound of the king's voice brought the teens back to reality and they pulled away and blushed

"FATHER!" Ilana exclaimed as she ran to embrace her father.

Lance smiled at the reunion and then turned to his own father

"So?" Edward asked his son "Corporal in the Royal Guard huh? Looks like you've been taking care of yourself."

"I've been trying" Lance confirmed before embracing his own father. "I've missed you so much Father"

"I've missed you too" Edward whispered as he returned the embrace

TBC


	6. Heart to Hearts

**Chapter 6: Heart to Hearts**

A few hours later,

Everyone was at the 'Lunis' Home. Ilana was having a blast showing her father all she had learned of Earth culture. Lance had changed back from his royal guard uniform to his earth disguise JUST in case the nosy neighbor decided to drop in. Of course, now he was resting as he had just spent a week sleeping on rock ground and once he fell on his bed, he fell right to sleep.

Meanwhile,

Ilana had decided that she was going to make dinner and basically kicked Octus out of the kitchen. Of course, that left Octus alone with the two fathers and Solomon and Octus was informing them of what had been happening recently that led up to the kiss.

"Perhaps I should have chosen someone who WASN'T afraid to love" the King mused.

"With all due respect," Solomon said having heard the full story now after visiting Lance and Ilana during their separation. "I think it was wise to send him. From what I've heard, since Edward here was taken from him, Lance has feared that loving someone means that they'll be taken away. That caused the phobia. However, a year with Ilana and Octus, nine months of forming Titan together, that's taught him how to love again. It was merely the phobia that forced him to separate the team"

"And he was still watching over her. He just told her that he quit so that she wouldn't know he was watching and not to rely on Titan. However, once realizing that this battle could save Galaluna, he figured Titan needed one last battle"

"I like that name for the armor." The King mused. "Titan"

"It's something the Earth People came up with and Ilana took a liking to it" Octus informed them

"So the question is," Edward mused. "What do we do with the kids? Now that they've acted on their feelings we can't very well forbid them from seeing each other"

"I see no reason why Lance can't be with Ilana. As the only member of my guard left alive, plus the apparent maturing he's done and the fact he's linked with 'Titan,' I'd say that give me good reason to promote him to either a Captain or a General. And as such, eligible for Ilana should she have him"

"I must say," Solomon added. "That kid does know how to fight"

"We'll see about Mondula. If he had merely been possessed as Octus says, we'll welcome him back as it technically wasn't him. But if he had acted on his own, then Lance will be the new General"

0000

After dinner,

When Lance didn't come down for dinner, Ilana went upstairs hoping that he didn't sneak out. When she saw him laying on his bed, eyes closed, she relaxed.

"Lance?" she whispered as she stood in the doorway and knocked on the quarter-opened door

"Yes Ilana?" he asked revealing that he wasn't REALLY asleep, just resting his eyes.

"Can I come in?" she asked carefully as she recalled that part of what pushed him away was her tendency to burst in when he wanted to be alone.

"Sure" Lance said opening his eyes and walking over to his window

"So…you're father's alive." She said trying to strike up a conversation. "No wonder you were feeling a bit stressed"

"Well, you probably weren't feeling at ease yourself…not knowing if your father was alive or not" Lance argued

"Thanks…for coming when we needed Titan" she said

"In all honesty Princess, I never really quit. I just told you that so I can watch from a distance"

"Why?" she asked

"I have my reasons" he informed her

Ilana looked him over and tried to read his expression from the reflection in the window. She had to admit that Lance wasn't easy to read

Suddenly, something she overheard came back to her

Flashback

"…_a year with Ilana and Octus, nine months of forming Titan together, that's taught him how to love again. It was merely the phobia that forced him to separate the team"_

End Flashback

Ilana looked back over the corporal who might turn General. His coldness melting over the past year…his backing off…running off at odd intervals…the never looking her in the eyes…the quitting…coming back when she needed him…the reaction to the kiss… what their fathers, Octus, and Solomon were talking about while she cooked…

It all fell into place.

"You know Lance…" she whispered as she walked up to him. "Earlier today…when we were Titan…you asked me what the realization was that Octus had been talking about when he saw the change in our position. I never DID give you a real answer yet you survived"

Lance felt his heart sink. He should have known that kiss was too good to be true

"When you left…and refused to come back…" Ilana started hesitantly, part of what was making her nervous was that Lance still wasn't catching her eyes. "Lance…over this past year… I… I feel safest when you're around. I know I can count on you to defend me"

Lance winced as he recalled that one Mutraddi monster that had interrogated him three months after coming to Earth. But he had made sure to make up for his misdeed, however unintentional the misdeed was.

"When we first came to Earth, I questioned my father's sanity for choosing you. But over these past few months…getting to know you…watching you warm up and letting out the real Lance…"Ilana continued before laughing. "Look at me. Princess of a planet and I get tongue-tied talking to my corporal"

"You've probably just lost so many friends in the initial attack on Galaluna, you didn't want to loose another" Lance figured

"What friends?" she muttered

"Princess…" Lance said before she could carry on with her confession. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to come back to Galaluna with you"

"What?" she gasped. "Why? If it's about your Father, we'll bring him back with us"

"It's not Father" Lance sighed before looking at the windowsill unable to look at her reflection as he decided to go on and come clean to explain his return of the kiss. "It's you"

"Me?" she asked wondering if this was going to be the confession of love

"I can't return to Galaluna and…" Lance started before hesitating "and watch you…"

Ilana smiled. Lance was having the same problem she was.

"Lance?" she asked walking up to him "Do you know what my most prized possession I have is?"

"That snow globe because it reminds you of Galaluna" Lance answered

"Half right" she said gently. "The snow globe…because it was the first present you ever gave me. When you left us to watch from afar, I felt so empty…so vulnerable... Whenever I was unable to sleep, I would come in here, look at our pictures in the yearbook holding your pillow. It…It made me feel closer to you. Lance. You HAVE to come back to Galaluna with us. If I felt like that when you were just 10 miles from us, I don't want to THINK what it would be like light-years away. I love you Lance and I can't live life without you"

There it was. Out in the open as plain as day. She waited with baited breath as he took in the announcement

She noticed Lance looking up at her reflection, but his head was ironically blocking his facial reaction so she wasn't sure if she had read him correctly or not.

Wondering if she made a mistake, she looked at the floor unaware that Lance had finally turned from the reflections in the window

"What about society?" Lance asked

"I don't care and neither should it" she said looking at the floor

Suddenly, she saw his shoes get into her field of vision indicating that he was finally away from the window

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that" Lance whispered as he tilted her chin up so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "I love you too"

Ilana smiled and kissed him again. This time, there was no initial tension from him

0000

Six months later,

Lance and Ilana pulled out from a kiss as they stood before her father on Galaluna as a roaring cheer came from the crowd of surviving Galalunians and some visiting Earthlings including Barb, Kimmie, G3, Chan, and even General Steele as the latter two had only been invited to show that they had been messing with royalty.

Mondula was also there, but even though he had only been possessed, he retired from the army so Lance was still promoted

"Told you society wouldn't care" Ilana whispered to Lance

"That's only because we ended the war" Lance whispered back as they turned to the crowd and waved as the crowd continued to cheer for the newlyweds.

The End


End file.
